If you are shopping for a cabin near Dahlonega that you plan to rent by the night, the rules turn on one question first: is the property inside the City of Dahlonega or in unincorporated Lumpkin County? The county publishes its short-term rental (STR) steps. We could not read the city’s own ordinance text, so this guide states county rules only and tells you what to ask the city. Everything here comes from county, city and state pages checked on Oct. 19, 2026.
The short answer
- In the county, get an approved Land Use Permit before anything else.
- Then apply for a Business and Short-Term Rental License: $175, plus $100 for each additional rental.
- Sign the notarized Responsible Party Affidavit, report the rental to the Tax Assessor within one month, and renew by Dec. 31 each year.
- Inside the City of Dahlonega, confirm STR rules with the city directly before you buy.
Step 1: Is the cabin in the city or the county?
Find out before you write an offer. Ask the listing agent, and confirm with the county, which jurisdiction the parcel is in. The answer decides which office licenses the rental and which government’s 8% lodging tax you collect. The rest of the steps below are the county’s.
Step 2: Why does the Land Use Permit come first?
In unincorporated Lumpkin County, you must have an approved Land Use Permit before the county will issue a Business and Short-Term Rental License, per the county’s Short-Term Rentals page. Ask Planning & Development about a specific property before you commit to it. The office is at 342 Courthouse Hill, Suite A, Dahlonega, phone 706-864-6894, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This guide does not cover zoning districts, occupancy limits or parking rules for county rentals. Ask Planning about each of them for any parcel you are considering.
Step 3: How do I apply for the license?
Applicants complete the county’s Occupational Tax Certificate (business license) application, including the section marked Short-Term Rental Only, with signed and notarized supporting affidavits, through the county Business License Portal. One Business & Short-Term Rental License costs $175.00, and each additional short-term rental needs a $100 Short-Term Rental License, per the county’s business license page.
As an example using those two fees, an owner with three county rentals would pay $175 for the first and $100 for each of the other two: $175 + $100 + $100 = $375. That is our arithmetic from the published fees, not a county quote.
Step 4: What does the affidavit commit me to?
The county’s STR Responsible Party Affidavit asks the owner or agent to confirm four things:
- No deed restrictions or covenants prohibit short-term rentals.
- The property is not under a Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA).
- A guest register will be kept.
- The STR area may be inspected annually.
The first two are buying questions, not just paperwork. Read the deed restrictions and any covenants before you sign a contract, and ask whether the land is under CUVA. If either one rules out renting, you would not be able to sign the affidavit.
Step 5: Which tax steps come with a rental?
- Report the STR to the Tax Assessor in writing within one month of the change in use or the start of the use, per the affidavit.
- If you rent and advertise yourself, set up a Georgia Department of Revenue sales and use tax account (there is no fee) and collect hotel-motel tax, the county tells owners.
- The county’s hotel-motel tax is 8%, raised from 5% for occupancy on or after Aug. 1, 2023.
- If you list only on marketplace platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO, those platforms must remit the local and state hotel-motel taxes for you. If you advertise yourself or collect rent directly, you remit them, due the 20th of each month.
- Georgia’s $5.00 per-night State Hotel-Motel Fee applies to each night a cabin or other short-term rental is rented, per the Department of Revenue.
Step 6: When does the license renew?
Lumpkin County Short-Term Rental Licenses must be renewed by Dec. 31 each year. If you close on a cabin late in the year, put the renewal date on your calendar the day the license is issued.
What happens if neighbors complain?
The county routes non-emergency STR concerns through the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line, 706-864-3633, or an online form, and complaints go to county Code Enforcement. Plan your house rules and a reachable local contact with that route in mind.
What about a cabin inside the City of Dahlonega?
Here we have to be plain: we could not read the city’s short-term rental ordinance. The city’s ordinance page sends readers offsite to Municode, and we could not open the code there. So this guide states no city STR rules. Here is what the city’s own documents do confirm:
- The city’s FY27 proposed budget says its Hotel/Motel Tax Fund comes from an 8% lodging tax on hotel/motel and STR stays, per the budget.
- City innkeepers file an Accommodation Excise Tax Return and pay by the 20th of the month after collecting the tax, with that month’s Form ST-3 attached, and file a zero return for months with none, per the return form.
- Businesses in the city apply for an Occupational Tax Certificate using the city’s procedure and application form, per the city.
Before you make an offer on a city property you plan to rent, ask the City of Dahlonega in writing whether a short-term rental is allowed at that address and what license it needs, and keep the answer with your purchase file.
Who can help me weigh a cabin as a rental?
This guide is published by Gold Peach Realty, a North Georgia brokerage. If you would like a local brokerage to help you look at cabins with renting in mind, start with Gold Peach Realty. Our buying a cabin rental page has these steps as a checklist, our lodging costs and taxes page shows what guests pay, and owners who already rent a place can use feature your home.
- In unincorporated Lumpkin County, you must have an approved Land Use Permit before the county will issue a Business and Short-Term Rental License. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
- Lumpkin County issues one Business & Short-Term Rental License for $175.00; each additional short-term rental needs a $100 Short-Term Rental License. Lumpkin County: Business License (Occupational Tax)
- Lumpkin County Short-Term Rental Licenses must be renewed by Dec. 31 each year. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
- The county's STR Responsible Party Affidavit requires the owner or agent to confirm no deed restrictions or covenants prohibit STRs, the property is not under a Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA), a guest register will be kept, and the STR area may be inspected annually. Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
- Lumpkin County requires an STR to be reported to the Tax Assessor in writing within one month of the change in use or start of the use. Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
Questions
Do I need a permit to rent my cabin short-term in Lumpkin County?
Yes, in unincorporated Lumpkin County. You need an approved Land Use Permit before the county issues a Business and Short-Term Rental License. The license is $175, plus $100 for each additional rental, and it must be renewed by Dec. 31 each year. Owners also sign a notarized responsible-party affidavit. Confirm current rules with Planning.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
Who collects hotel tax on an Airbnb or VRBO cabin in Lumpkin County?
Lumpkin County says that if you list only through marketplace platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO, the platforms must remit the local and state hotel-motel taxes for you. If you advertise on your own or collect rent directly from guests, you remit the taxes yourself, due on the 20th of each month.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
What does Lumpkin County's short-term rental affidavit require?
The county's responsible-party affidavit asks the owner or agent to confirm that no deed restrictions or covenants prohibit short-term rentals, the property is not in a Conservation Use Value Assessment, a guest register will be kept, and the rental area may be inspected annually. Owners must also report the rental to the Tax Assessor within one month.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
What are the short-term rental rules inside the City of Dahlonega?
Inside the city limits, the City of Dahlonega collects its 8% lodging tax on short-term rental stays as well as hotel stays, and businesses need a city Occupational Tax Certificate. The city's zoning and rental rules are published in its Code of Ordinances on Municode. Confirm licensing and zoning with City Hall before buying.
Source: City of Dahlonega: FY27 Proposed Budget (Aug. 19, 2026), Fund 275 Hotel/Motel Tax Fund
When are city hotel-motel taxes due in Dahlonega?
City of Dahlonega innkeepers file the Accommodation Excise Tax Return and pay by the 20th of the month after the tax was collected. The return requires a copy of that month's Georgia sales and use tax report (Form ST-3). A return showing zero is still required for months with no tax collected.
Source: City of Dahlonega: Accommodation Excise Tax Return (rev. 05/2024)
Should I tell the tax assessor if I start renting my Lumpkin County cabin?
Yes. Lumpkin County's short-term rental affidavit says an STR must be reported to the Tax Assessor in writing within one month of the change in use or the start of the use. The same affidavit asks owners to confirm the property is not under a Conservation Use Value Assessment, which restricts how land is used.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
Where can neighbors report a short-term rental problem in Lumpkin County?
Lumpkin County routes non-emergency short-term rental concerns to the Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 706-864-3633, or to an online form that creates a case number tied to the property. Complaints go to county Code Enforcement. Owners buying a rental cabin should expect neighbors to know about this reporting route.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
What should I check before buying a cabin to use as a vacation rental?
Start with location: city or unincorporated county rules differ. In the county you need a Land Use Permit, then a Business and Short-Term Rental License. Check deeds and covenants for STR bans, Conservation Use status, and plan to collect or confirm platform collection of 8% local tax plus Georgia's $5 nightly fee.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
Written by the Dahlonega Vacations Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.
Dates, rules and hours can change. The organizers have the final word: Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Center
